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1.1enquire afterno objectAsk about the health and well-being of (someone)

‘Angus enquired after her parents’

‘Instead, she smiled at Dan in a friendly manner, enquired after his health and then left well-enough alone.’

‘David never failed to enquire after the health of Mrs Peri - Victor's mother-in-law.’

‘The duke was a very kind-hearted, amiable man who always enquired after his servants' well-being.’

‘She would write to my mother twice a year, and sometimes enquire after me kindly.’

‘The report adds: ‘While en-route the President phoned the officer, enquiring after his well-being and apologising for the accident.’’

‘My students have been sweet, approaching me in the corridors to enquire after my health.’

‘After enquiring after each other's welfare they consulted at length and then returned to where they had come from.’

‘He was lying alone in his house, and nobody went to enquire after his well-being.’

‘After the usual formalities of enquiring after their welfare, he broached the reason for his arrival.’

‘Somebody enquired after a couple of former pupils, who, I gathered, came from a dysfunctional background and were out-of-control.’

‘Coming out of his study, he enquired after Carrie.’

‘More than 175 volunteers maintain the program, which monitor the welfare of the frail and elderly, by contacting them each day to enquire after their well-being.’

‘Mr. Sydney, after extending his greetings and enquiring after his employer's good health, lifted a pile from a chair in front of an overflowing partners desk and flapped the seat clean with his handkerchief.’

‘Wouldn't have thought that someone like you would be enquiring after the well-being of their elderly relatives.’

‘As well as health problems, Flora has had ongoing educational difficulties, but the documentary will allege that Parkinson made little or no effort to enquire after her well-being, still less to see her or provide for her.’

1.2enquire forno objectAsk to see or speak to (someone)

‘that was Mr Paul enquiring for you—I told him he couldn't come in’

‘When she reiterated that she was enquiring for someone else, the voice asked her whether the patient was still breathing!’

‘Early in the morning of Sunday, 21st November 1920 a number of men called to 38 Mount Street and on enquiring for Lieutenant Aimes were let in by the maid Katherine Farrell.’

‘Right away he enquired for former team mates Seán and Mickey.’

‘If by chance, you should look for me, perchance you'll not me find - enquire for Renardine.’

2enquire intono objectInvestigate; look into.

‘the task of political sociology is to enquire into the causes of political events’

‘If the Inspector does not enquire into it, or does so and finds no reason to amend the return, the statutory scheme of self-assessment is final.’

‘We should enquire into exactly how far his stupidity and ignorance will stretch, what the history is, what are his motives and what's he hiding?’

‘We are keen to enquire into the issues raised by our terms of reference, so we can make appropriate recommendations for further good practice into the Metropolitan Police Service, rather than concentrate on criticising individuals.’

‘The person conducting the review was told not to enquire into the question of whether plagiarism had even taken place!’

‘It's my firm belief that the Government did not exaggerate the intelligence it received - so why not enquire into the sources and background to the case for war?’

‘We are very keen to enquire into the issues which impact on our terms of reference, and to make appropriate recommendations in order that we can introduce further good practice into the service itself.’

‘The standard of patient care has never been in question or doubt and remains high and unaffected by any of the issues being enquired into by the trustees.’

‘We are extremely keen to enquire into the issues raised by the terms of reference that have been given to us, in order that we can make appropriate recommendations for further good practice within the Metropolitan Police Service.’

‘We are quite keen to enquire into the issues raised by our terms of reference, in order that we may make appropriate recommendations for further good practice within the Met, rather than concentrating on criticisms.’

‘The issue is whether, in carrying out this function, the Magistrates have power to enquire into the validity of the maintenance assessments themselves.’

‘Absolutely, and that is particularly so in cases where one is enquiring into the state of mind of an officer, as to whether he acted in self-defence, which is a very common issue.’

‘We are keen to enquire into the issues raised in our terms of reference.’

‘That said, we are very keen nevertheless to enquire into the issues which are raised by our terms of reference, and to make appropriate recommendations for further good practice within the MPS.’

‘You should enquire into any gap year organisation's aims and objectives, and its involvement of the local community in its activities.’

‘It works out tax bills, checks you have paid the right amount and can enquire into your return.’

‘Moreover, in all but the simplest of cases the Court will be required not merely to inspect the defence but to enquire into it - a process which may, in matters of any complexity, take hours or even days.’

‘‘The matters that the inspectors were asked to enquire into were very serious, particularly in the context of the conduct of a banking business,’ said the judge.’

‘We are very keen to enquire into those issues raised by our terms of reference, so that we can make appropriate recommendation for further good practice.’

‘We are very keen to enquire into the issues raised by our terms of reference, so that we can make appropriate recommendations for the further good practice within the Met, rather than concentrating on just making criticisms.’

‘He would enquire into their accounts worrying whether too many letters had been sent first class rather than second, but then his mother had taught him the virtue of thrift.’

Usage

The traditional distinction between enquire and inquire is that enquire is used for general senses of ‘ask’ while inquire is reserved for uses meaning ‘make a formal investigation’. In practice, however, there is little discernible distinction in the way the two words are used today in British English, although inquiry is commoner than enquiry in the sense ‘a formal investigation’. In all senses inquire and inquiry are the more usual forms in US English, whereas enquire and enquiry are chiefly restricted to British English

Origin

Middle English enquere, from Old French enquerre, based on Latin inquirere (based on quaerere ‘seek’).